New homes being built in city

SANDUSKY — The process to build new homes in Sandusky, through a state program, continues. Crews recently set these three structures on their foundations along 1504, 1506 and 1508 Carr St., near West Osborne Street, on a property once belonging to the Sandusky Baking Co. Crews demolished the vacant, hazardous structure in 2022. "The houses will receive their finishing touches over the next few weeks, including being outfitted with wraparound porches," according to a city statement. Funding for these homes comes from Sandusky's Welcome Home Ohio program. In 2024, Sandusky's government received $3.6 million through the Ohio Department of Development's Welcome Home Ohio program to construct 14 new single-family homes. Crews recently finished the program's first two homes on Pierce Street with residents now living there. Officials celebrated this moment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September. "The need for safe and affordable housing is a national challenge that requires proactive solutions, meaningful investments and strong collaboration across all levels of government," said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who approved this program. "This program represents an innovative and forward-thinking approach that addresses the barriers many Ohioans face when trying to buy a home." The city partnered with Welcome Home Great Lakes, a team made up of Community Building Partners and NeighborWorks Toledo Region, to deliver the project. "We are honored to be a part of this program," partners CEO Joe Recchie said. "Homeownership is the foundation of the American dream. The Welcome Home program shows the vision of the city and the state in making that dream accessible for its residents right here in Sandusky." For years now, Sandusky has faced extreme challenges "with the need for housing units with the greatest gap in availability recognized for individuals of modest income," according to a city memo. There's both a lack of available and affordable housing across Sandusky, according to a recent study. Sandusky officials expressed deep appreciation toward DeWine and others for providing the city with these funds. This award serves as a massive step forward in addressing these uphill battles many Sandusky residents face, local officials said. "Housing is a priority of the city commissioners and city administration," Sandusky city manager John Orzech said. "We know housing is an important issue in our city, as it is across the country. Of course, this project won't solve the issue overnight, but it's a good step in the right direction in bringing more housing to Sandusky." Beyond Carr Street, officials set their sights on building homes at: • E. Adams St. at 516 • Buchanan St. at 1704 • C St. at 1233 • Clay St. at 1827 • Huntington Ave. at 1129 and 1134 • Harriston St. at 1718 and 1828 • Putnam St. at 1730 and 1804 Sandusky's government already owns these lots through the city's and bank, which aims to take vacant, dilapidated, non-tax-producing entities back into viable sites. Officials will pay a set price per home and sell it to the homeowner at a fraction of this overall cost. The difference comes out of the $3.6 million grant. Future sites will be announced once officials secure additional plots. In total, officials want to build at least 23 homes with this state money. Other city news Here are some other items of note taken up by Sandusky city commissioners in recent weeks: Removing the lead lines Commissioners followed a state recommendation to replace lead and galvanized service lines within the city. Aaron Klein, the city's public works director, explained why: • On lead pipes: "Lead is a common, naturally occurring, metallic element that can be found in air, soil and water. Lead has historically been used in plumbing because of its pliability and resistance to leaks up until the last 50 years when the risk to public health was more recognized and measures taken to limit its use." • On galvanized lines: "Galvanized lines in the system need to be replaced due to deterioration of their protective zinc coating, which causes internal rust and mineral buildup, leading to low water pressure, discolored water and potential leaks or bursts. The corrosion can also leach lead and other heavy metals into the drinking water." • On the recent ruling: "The (U.S.) EPA recently announced steps to strengthen the regulatory framework on lead in drinking water. This includes an initiative to find all lead and galvanized water service lines in the distribution system of every water utility in the U.S., including the private service lines that connect customer-owned service lines to the city's water main." • On the city's work: "The city is in the process of inventorying all of our water infrastructure, including customers' service line materials, that are connected to the public system. Of the roughly 10,000 service connections in the city, a large portion of the material type of service lines within the system remains unknown." • On the city's direction: "The proposed legislation would allow city staff to move forward with mandates set forth by the EPA to both inventory and replace all lead and galvanized lines by granting further access to customer-owned service lines and implementing penalties for non-compliant customers." Increasing police pay Commissioners updated the police union's contract, allowing for what's known as longevity pay. These increased rates now match exactly what city firefighters get. Each officer with Sandusky who has worked: • Between one and five years gets $45 per year for each year with the city • Between six and 11 years gets $55 per year for each year with the city • Between 12 and 17 years gets $70 per year for each year with the city • At least 18 years gets $70 per year for each year with the city Changing the fence height During a recent public meeting, city commissioners approved a change for the height of fences in side yards for residentially zoned properties. Previously, the fence height could only reach 4 feet. Now it's going to 6 feet. Staff made this recommendation after receiving many requests to build 6-foot-tall fences. They also noticed many similarly sized communities to Sandusky allowed for 6-foot-tall fences. Penalizing tree violators Commissioners also increased the maximum penalties applicable for tree violations. "The penalty for tree violations — including unauthorized maintenance that may be harmful to the health of a tree as well as unauthorized removals that may negatively impact a robust and necessary urban tree canopy — has not been updated since the code conversation in 1980," said Scott Kromer, the city's streets and utilities superintendent. Earlier this year, the city's tree commission discussed and approved an increase in potential fines applied to any future violations to meet the costs of labor and resources. The maximum penalty for these violations has gone from $100 previously to $1,000 today.